I had already produced 2 Videos on the Eyewitness I had Interviewed on the Assassination Of JFK. Just getting 5 out of the 14 in my Eyewitness Video-Part-I was extremely hard to believe, especially after 25+years.
Even though I came to Dallas in 1987, you don't expect anyone who had not told their story, on video or radio or the newspapers. I had been speaking with my good friend, Larry Sneed(who published, "No More Silence" an oral history of his great Interviews), and Larry had been coming to Dallas before I did, and Interviewing Police Officers and told me the only way to know for sure is to look into their eyes and record history, before it is too late!
So after my 1st Eyewitness Video-Real JFK Facts and my Documentary Video,"On the Trail of the mystery FBI Man", I wanted to do an Eyewitness Video-Part-II. I had 3 already on Video and decided to do one that was UN-Edited(except for Phone calls,etc).
While I was down at the knoll, doing an experiment to see if tourists would be interested in my Videos, I remarked to the other sellers that I would live to find Patsy Paschall, as I did not know her story, and little did I know, neither did anyone else.
I went back to my hotel room and re-read the FBI Document that mentioned her attorney, Fred Bruner going to the FBI and complaining that he did not get the original film back, when SA Robert Barrett came to look at it a few days after the Assassination. I then got out the Dallas Phone Book and called every Paschall in there and found her Mother-in-Law.
I told her who I was and what I wanted and asked if she knew of the person who took movie film, and she said Patsy was her daughter in law and had not spoken to many people about it. I was surprised to get her phone number so quickly, and calling Patsy was a thrill to say the least. I mentioned the FBI Document right away, hoping to get her interest. She agreed to meet me at her work on my Last day in Dallas before returning to St Louis.
We went into a conference room and it did not have great lighting but I did have my external microphone. I asked her if she took film and she said she did-I had a copy of a picture of her in Life magazine from 1968 and she said it was she. She also said they never interviewed her about what she saw and heard and I could not believe it. I asked her if she could hear the shots being inside the building and she said the window was open and she said it was a “pow” then a pause, then “pow,pow” and she,”saw smoke from the knoll”. She told Deputy Sheriff Jelly Icum,”Some nut is poppin firecrackers from the Knoll”.
This was absolutely Gold to me. I had no idea what she thought. I reminded Patsy of the Railroad workers on the Triple Underpass who signed statements with the Sheriff’s Dept saying the same thing(not to mention the Washington Press Reporters in the Press Busses, too-nothing quite like eyewitness cooperation). I then called Patsy from St Louis to see her film,which was impossible-so I moved to Texas, just to see her film, called her every day for months, and finally she agreed in Oct of 1995.
She called her attorney, and he agreed to see me. I did not have time to call some Video businesses as waiting a day when offered to see an ORIGINAL film that no one else had seen, could prove to be a big mistake. So I called a “friend” at the time(he since went from conspiracy to lone nut over night, AFTER I took him with me) and I will admit-he saved the day, as we used a white box for a screen, and I could not handled an original film without passing out!(Break it and no words could describe!)
Anyway the old projector was risky, but was all we had at the time, I mean you are told to see an original film at a man’s house who is over 70-you just go and worry about things later-you could see the Grassy Knoll even with the (herky jerky) of the projector. I had met a contact to the Dallas Morning News(Jeffery Weiss)thanks to Tom Bowden Of the Conspiracy Museum,who had a press conference on the Sirhan Gun.
I asked him if he had heard of the Paschall film and he said no-I showed him the Redacted FBI document on it and asked, that if I saw it and recorded it, would he do a story on it and he said to call him. Anyway after I recorded it, I called and he turned me over to Bill Minutaglio and at first I think he or someone said,”Another Conspirracy Story?” to which I said, “This is a story about the history of this Community!” and the Washington Post or the New York Times had offices 100 yards from where Patsy filmed in the Old Red Courthouse-so he agreed to meet Patsy, myself and view the film, as he had never heard of her. Can’t blame him for being skeptical.
He was very nice, listened to Patsy’s story, saw the film, looked at my Eyewitness Video Part-II that had her Interview, (before I saw the film), and by golly, we made the Front Page of the Dallas Morning News on 10/31/95-(wished it was one day AFTER Halloween)-anyway the AP, picked up the story and I thought we were on our way, to say the least. I saw Lecture engagements, Professional Film Enhancements, Inside Edition maybe even Oprah, but NO ONE was to ask us to be on a show in the entire world, except Local KDFW-Fox News!!
I am sure there is not one researcher who dreams of making a contribution, being on National TV. And making the Lecture circuit. None of this ever happened, even though after Fox News Interviewed us all Day(and in Nov when attorney Bruner had the film transferred to Beta SP AND Enhancements)-we were called by People Magazine, National Enquire, Inside Edition, many Radio Stations, Scam artists and no one showed the film. People Magazine interviewed us for 7 hours(& 9 rolls of film) and never printed the story-A Current Affair flew us to New York, talked to us that night about showing her film, then left us in the Hotel and never did the Story-moral of the story is; get it in writing, before you commit your time,(unless you are rich).
Anyway, Patsy was concerned that someone was using her film,without her permission and she tried to stop him. This turned out to be a waste of time, as I told her the “Spotlight” would die soon, as JFK stories have a very limited time-frame, as far as the News Media is concerned. But she was right in saying,”Mark, we were on the front page of the 4th largest paper in the USA, if they wanted us on a show, we would have been asked to-“
So anyway, the film showed 2 things that no one knew about, not the Sixth Floor Museum or anyone else. It showed the Grassy Knoll and “Flashes” behind the Picket fence, as well as Zapruder Jumping off the pedestal at about 13 to 15 seconds after the Fatal Shot(Z-313)—whether he really said it or not, Gary Mack was quoted in the same front page story,”The film is interesting, but not crucial”-and the “film does not show the shooting sequence, and that is far and away the most important consideration of any monetary value—“ Hard to believe those comments after his work on the “Badgeman” and the acoustical Evidence of a 4th shot that the HSCA did conclude in 1979.
Anyway you must understand the Museum did not want the film sold or out of Texas, that they wanted it. And to guarantee that, all you have to do is down play it. As of today 9 years later, the film is not shown in the Museum, and they have a Copy! You have to understand that Patsy wanted it sold, she is not a researcher—I tried to help her sell it and at the same time, tried to show it more. I warned her there would be people trying to separate us, and they did. I even called Jamie Silverberg who was so excited, he asked me to FED-EX the Film Enhancements.
I asked him what Documentary Showed Air Force One&Two flying in to Love Field, Zapruder jumping off the Pedestal, and Movement BEHIND the Picket fence as Zapruder jumped off, and he admitted,”None”—I never heard from him after that-although Patsy called him and possibly her new “Lawyer” messed things up. I think someone scared her off, as I have been told she,”gets cold feet on a Documentary, or asks too much money”.
Anyway the Enhancements are included in my Documentary Video, “On the Trail of the Mystery FBI Man”.